


Sunlight After the Rain

by LadyPaigeC



Series: Tumblr Prompts [9]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/F, Fix-It, Post-Episode: s11e02 The Ghost Monument, Reunions, Space Wives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-19
Updated: 2019-04-19
Packaged: 2020-01-16 08:02:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18517297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyPaigeC/pseuds/LadyPaigeC
Summary: After a failed attempt at returning her new friends to Sheffield, the Doctor and the gang end up on a market planet. Ice cream and fun and a long lost love awaits the Doctor.





	Sunlight After the Rain

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LiraelClayr007](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiraelClayr007/gifts).



> for the prompt: sunlight

The Doctor, with her recently re-acquired Ghost Monument, attempted a return trip to Sheffield to take her new friends back home. When the grinding stopped and the TARDIS landed with a small bump, Yaz popped her head out the door.

“Erm, Doctor, this isn’t Sheffield.”

The Doctor scanned the monitor and double checked the coordinates. “No, it’s not. We’ve landed on Scoppapolis. The whole planet’s a marketplace. Largest in this galaxy. The Old Girl must still be re-calibrating.” The Doctor stroked the Time Rotor and turned to the gang. “Anyone up for a spot of shopping before we try again?”

Yaz was the only one seemingly excited by the prospect.

Ryan and Graham shrugged. “Yeah, sure, Doc.”

“Oh, look!” The Doctor bounced eagerly. “We’re by Morey’s Beach. It has the longest boardwalk on the planet with rides and games and candy floss! This is ace!”

“Do they have any restaurants, Doc? I haven’t eaten in hours,” Graham asked.

Ryan scanned the nearest cluster of buildings. “How ‘bout an arcade, think they’ve got one?”

Yaz turned to the Doctor. “I’d love to see what kind of things they sell on an alien planet. Maybe pick up a little something for my mum and sister.” 

The Doctor stuffed her hands into her pockets. “Luckily I loaded up as soon as I got back on the TARDIS.” She pulled out three credit sticks and handed them out. “Don’t spend it all in one place. Meet me back here in an hour and we’ll all get ice cream. They make it with Kuzdelor’s milk. Best in the universe.”

The Doctor went to run off, when Graham called out. “Where’re you going?”

“The Waltzer!”

Graham, Ryan, and Yaz looked at each other and shook their heads. 

\--

An hour later the four friends were back together, strolling along the boardwalk and eating brightly colored ice cream cones. A warm breeze and the sun beating down had them trying to out race the quickly forming drips. 

The Doctor was about to stuff as much of the remaining cone in her mouth, when she spotted a flash of shining blonde hair from the corner of her eye. Her eyes were drawn to the woman standing so still and looking out across the sea. How many times had a blonde head drew her attention in the last millennia? Too many to count, though not as often as those first few months after losing... Shaking herself out of those thoughts, she studied the woman - face turned toward the sun, bathed in sunlight, hair gently blowing in the breeze. Something about her posture and supple curves and hair, which was not a naturally occuring hue, was so familiar it had the Doctor’s respiratory bypass engaging. 

The Doctor slowed to a stop and watched as the woman took a deep breath, her shoulders rising and falling, before turning around. _Rose._

Her friends glanced back in question as the Doctor’s hand slackened and her treat went tumbling to the ground. Her heart was pounding and she couldn’t make the words caught in her throat pass through her lips. The best she could do was an impression of a fish - eyes round, mouth open.

Yaz ran up to her. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Doc?”

Ryan’s eyes darted back and forth between the Doctor and the mystery blonde woman that the Doctor couldn’t stop gaping at.

Rose gave the group a cursory glance and a small smile, before casting her gaze down at the ground and hurrying past them.

 _Rose!_ The Doctor made a strangled sound, cleared her throat and rasped, “Rose.”

The Doctor wasn’t sure if she’d been heard, so loud was the blood rushing through her ears. After taking a few more steps Rose stopped and slowly turned to face the Doctor. She ran her eyes over the foursome, spending a little more time scrutinizing Graham than Yas or Ryan, before landing on the petite blonde. Rose tilted her head as she examined the other woman’s quirky outfit. By the time Rose’s hazel eyes met a startlingly similar set staring back at her, both women were quite pale. “Doctor?”

The Doctor couldn’t hold back the huge smile and the absolute pride at her clever, lost love. “Rose Tyler.”

It was unclear who moved first, but they met in a bone crushing hug somewhere in the middle.

Rose leaned forward and sobbed against the Doctor’s shoulder. It was strange being slightly taller than the Doctor for the first time ever, yet familiar at the same time. The Time Lord smelled just as Rose remembered - a mix of chalk dust, boiled sweets, lime, and diesel.

“Doctor. Oh my God, I thought I’d never find you.” 

The Doctor clutched Rose closer to her and whispered in her ear, “Rose. My Rose. I’ve missed you so much. What are- How are you here? Where’s…”

A cry of pain was ripped from Rose. “Gone. They’re all gone. I’ve been on my own for so long. I’d nearly given up ever-”

The Doctor pulled back in a panic. “What? What d’you mean?” She looked at Rose’s puffy red eyes and smooth skin. “You can’t have been gone more than-”

“374 years.”

The Doctor’s jaw dropped. “What?”

“Had my Doctor for 78 years, but there is only so much that technology and science can overcome. In the end, he still had a human body.”

“But you…” The Doctor shook her head. “I-”

“Bad Wolf. The vortex did more to me than anyone realized at the time.”

“Oh, Rose.” The Doctor pulled her into another hug. “You’ve been...been on your own for the last 300 years?”

She nodded. “I’ve had the TARDIS, my TARDIS. Sorta knocked around the universe after…well, just after. Did that for about 80 years before my TARDIS fell through a crack in the vortex and I ended up back here. In this universe. Still not quite sure how it happened. Was like our first trip to Pete’s World, just an accident.”

“You’ve been here, in this universe, for over 200 years?”

“Yeah. Tried to find you, but…” Rose smiled through her tears and shrugged.

“Alone?”

“I’d travel with a companion or two when it got too lonely, but mostly it was just me and the TARDIS.”

“I never wanted that kind of life for you. I wanted you to have forever with him.”

“I did. His forever.”

“But-”

“No. No regrets. He loved me with his whole human heart, and...and I loved him. Will always love him.”

The Doctor pulled away from Rose. “Right, of course. I, er…sorry.”

A look of hurt passed over Rose’s face. “What?”

“No. I’m glad. He loved you and you loved him, that’s...brilliant. Really.”

“Then why do you look like I kicked your puppy?”

The Doctor froze. “I…”

“You’re jealous? I can’t believe- No, I absolutely can.” Rose pushed her finger into the Doctor’s chest. “Listen up, Time Lord. I have loved every single one of you that I've known. Including my Doctor who was absolutely you. So you better get used to it. Especially if...” Rose bit her lip. “Erm, if you still want to travel together.” She glanced at the Doctor’s friends who were watching the two of them with rapt attention.

“Yes. I want,” the Doctor breathed out. She gasped as she processed the rest of Rose’s statement. “Get used to...every...me too?” 

Rose blushed. “You're the Doctor. I don’t know how not to love you.”

The Doctor wrapped herself around Rose. “Rose Tyler, I’ve...I’ve waited centuries...I love you. So much. Never stopped.” She smiled widely. “Don’t know how not to love you, too.”

Their lips met through their tears, and they were quickly swept away in rediscovering their lost loves found.

Graham quietly ushered the others back to the TARDIS. They’d learn the story of the Doctor’s mystery blonde soon enough.


End file.
